1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cleaning devices for cleaning eyewear such as goggles, and more particularly to a squeegee device for wiping moisture from goggles while the user is wearing the goggles.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art teaches various devices for cleaning eyewear, including a wide range of cloths and similar products for wiping moisture, dirt, and other matter from the eyewear.
Oberman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,881,273, teaches an eyewear cleaning device that includes a housing, a retractable cord, and a soft, nonabrasive cloth mounted on the cord for cleaning eyewear lenses. The housing is mounted on a wall or similar structure, and may further include a cleaning fluid dispenser. The device can be attached to clothing or related items (e.g., a backpack) with a variety of hooks or clips, or the device may be attached to a support structure (e.g., a wall) with an adhesive or similar attachment means.
Thayer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,209, teaches an eyewear cleaning apparatus which utilizes a flexible retaining band that has ends which engage and retain eyewear such as eyeglasses, sunglasses, goggles and the like to allow the eyewear to be carried about the neck of the user. A selectively closeable compartment is positioned on the band intermediate the ends and contains a specialized lens cleaning cloth which is moveable between an extended cleaning position confronting the lenses of the eyewear and a rolled or folded storage position within the compartment where the cloth can be effectively carried, stored and protected from contamination yet always be available for lens cleaning when needed. When in the stored position, the cloth is substantially undetectable to the casual eye, and the band retains its aesthetically attractive appearance.
While the prior art teaches an eyewear cleaning device that may be mounted on clothing, the prior art does not teach an eyewear cleaning device that is mounted directly to the eyewear, in a manner that does not interfere with the user's sporting activities. The prior art also does not teach a cleaning device that is adapted to be used while the user is actively engaged in an athletic activity. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.